Club History Where Are They Now: Bomber Clifford

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bomberclifford

bomberclifford

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Sep 2, 2005
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Cerebral Cortex
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
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Port Adelaide Magpies
Interview with my namesake, Stephen "Bomber" Clifford.

JF: We haven’t spoken for a while, Bomber. What are you up to these days?

SC: Well mate for the last 12 months I’ve been battling cancer. I’ve had prostate cancer. So it’s been a bit of an issue but I’m OK now. But it’s been pretty tough. I’ve been through a similar thing to Michael Aish and John Letts and these blokes. I had no symptoms or no problems. It was only through regular blood tests that it was located. I was lucky that it was found early. Other than that, I’m taking a bit of an interest in the Power and the Magpies. I still go and watch both of the teams, being a life member
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Great stuff, thanks for sharing bomberclifford . The original Stephen 'Bomber' Clifford was a club legend. Despite his knockabout larrikin attitude he was one of the fittest at Port Adelaide and put a few to shame with his running power. He was a rough and tough character not afraid to hand out a bit of treatment and cop it too. A very good footballer who is still well-loved by Port supporters.

Awful about the cancer scare but it sounds like he is alright now.

Bomber's comedic talents


Bomber kicks a monster goal in the 1979 GF
 

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Awesome read. Love Bomber. But then, that's pretty universal. For all footy fans of that era.

Great to see he's recovered from his health scare.

Now that I think about it, I can see a bit of Bomber in the way Dane Swan goes about his footy.

IIRC, there's another couple of ads starring Bomber from that Magarey telecast.

The one spoofing the Malcolm Blight removalist ad was a crack-up...
 
I was a big Bomber fan. His number 3 was a favourite. Lucky I was a big Randall Gerlach fan before Bomber! :D

Story went Bomber's nickname came about from a particularly severe haircut and his teammates called him Bombhead. Clifford hated that and shortened the nickname to Bomber and it stuck. At one stage he tried to rename himself Dr Kildare because he said he intravenously fed the forwards with his delivery but no one was having that. :p
 
As a 10yo just getting my head around football and Port Adelaide, the two players that really stood out for me were Tim Evans and Bomber Clifford. Bomber won the battle of who my favourite player would be because he was a mischievous bastard and that appealed to me.
 
bomberclifford said:
As a 10yo just getting my head around football and Port Adelaide, the two players that really stood out for me were Tim Evans and Bomber Clifford. Bomber won the battle of who my favourite player would be because he was a mischievous bastard and that appealed to me.
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For me, it was Braddles and Timmy with Bomber rounding out my top three...
 
Great that he still has a passion for the club, at both AFL and SANFL levels.

I can remember a game circa 87, when Bomber returned after a lengthy injury lay-off. He really did add a lot to the side.

Can anyone remember what the injury was, I'm thinking maybe a knee, given how long he was out for.
 
I remember stories of Bomber, like Rohan Smith, breaking his ankles busting out some dance moves at the Port Club. He might have done that twice.
 
I heard from a former Port player that Bomber scared the bejezus our of Dave Granger.

Not sure how true it is but there is one story that had the hard man climbing up a pole with Bomber holding a broom under his backside to prevent him from sliding down.

Now that would be a story at a Sportmans night.
 

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Ebert80 said:
I can remember a game circa 87, when Bomber returned after a lengthy injury lay-off. He really did add a lot to the side.

Can anyone remember what the injury was, I'm thinking maybe a knee, given how long he was out for.
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Not thinking about '82?

He missed that whole season through injury.

Then won the B&F in '83. Retired at the end of '86...
 
Hmmm, maybe I have my memory mixed up then.

Perhaps it as 85 or 86 - he may have just been returning from perhaps a 6 or 7 week instead.

Its a little disappointing that blokes like Clifford and S Curtis werent around still to experience premiership in 88. Without looking it up though, I imagine Bomber would still have played in 2 or 3 flags. In Curtis' case though I think he was moved on by Cahill.
 
Ebert80 said:
Hmmm, maybe I have my memory mixed up then.

Perhaps it as 85 or 86 - he may have just been returning from perhaps a 6 or 7 week instead.

Its a little disappointing that blokes like Clifford and S Curtis werent around still to experience premiership in 88. Without looking it up though, I imagine Bomber would still have played in 2 or 3 flags. In Curtis' case though I think he was moved on by Cahill.
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Bomber played 1979, 80, 81 premierships. Curtis missed out, joined in 1983, I think was still around early in 1988 but didn't play in that premiership. Desperately unlucky as he was a very good, tough, uncompromising but fair player.

Not as unlucky as Dexter Kennedy though.
 
Ebert80 said:
Hmmm, maybe I have my memory mixed up then.

Perhaps it as 85 or 86 - he may have just been returning from perhaps a 6 or 7 week instead.

Its a little disappointing that blokes like Clifford and S Curtis werent around still to experience premiership in 88. Without looking it up though, I imagine Bomber would still have played in 2 or 3 flags. In Curtis' case though I think he was moved on by Cahill.
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Yeah, he was in and out of the team in '85/86. Played in the 79/80/81 premierships.

Really felt for Steve Curtis. He deserved a league premiership. Had a great '87, finishing top ten in the Magarey. But only played four games in '88. Not sure but I think he had some injuries that year.

John Harvey was another I would've loved to get a flag...
 
Ah one of my favorite players too. Glad to read he's still got a love for the game, I find it kind of sad when ex-sporting players don't take an interest in their old sport which happens a lot. I can't get over how Chad Wingard doesn't watch AFL for example. Hopefully he's enjoying the grandkids and not working too hard. As a fellow forklift driver I know it happens sometimes!
 
Ford Fairlane said:
Great stuff, thanks for sharing bomberclifford . The original Stephen 'Bomber' Clifford was a club legend. Despite his knockabout larrikin attitude he was one of the fittest at Port Adelaide and put a few to shame with his running power. He was a rough and tough character not afraid to hand out a bit of treatment and cop it too. A very good footballer who is still well-loved by Port supporters.

Awful about the cancer scare but it sounds like he is alright now.

Bomber's comedic talents


Bomber kicks a monster goal in the 1979 GF
Click to expand...


Had tears in my eyes
was o/s in '79
1st time I've seen it

Thanx doesn't seem enough
not even close :hearts:

Bomber
Our Diamond in the rough

Luv'd his two step torpedoes
steepling to the stratosphere

nonchalance
with panache
and verve
 
Bomber was a great footballer. He was my coach and I played with him at Greenacres FC for a few games when I tried to make a come back playing football after a few years off. A very inspirational Fella and something good always seem to happen every time he got the ball. Sad to hear about his battle, he's a tough fighter though so glad that he won the battle.
 
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His son is still Woody South, one of, if not the best player of the last ten years at our club.
Family are just great, and he just a genuine, honest bloke. Loved a a spray that's for sure haha. Is still a guest at a lot of the clubs functions, the club could not be more appreciative of the work bomber did with our players!
 
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